


Kingdom Hearts OC Week 2020

by Wild_Sylleblossom



Category: Kingdom Hearts (Video Games)
Genre: And the Summer Squad., Gen, Multi, The Trinity trio are mentioned as well as some other characters but I'm not tagging all of them., Y'know those kids we meet during that sewer mission.
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:20:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,473
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25828099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wild_Sylleblossom/pseuds/Wild_Sylleblossom
Summary: I'm back at it again with my Key Kid Erica! This time I did all of the prompts so I hope you enjoy them!
Relationships: Naminé/Roxas (Kingdom Hearts)
Kudos: 1





	1. Day 1--Introductions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the chapter title implies, this goes over some traits of Erica's as well as some story points.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can probably guess, the week finished over on Tumblr so I'm bringing my entries here. Still haven't written her story yet, but I will eventually! I don't wanna give away too many story points but I figured I'd give a couple at least. I also attempted to make an edit of how Erica would look in KH III (even though I haven't really figured out what her outfit's going to be) as well as her Chirithy. Link to those pics here:
> 
> https://ends-of-the-wayward-storm.tumblr.com/post/625357762416787456/kh-oc-week-2020day-1-introductions-30-im
> 
> I was actually going to leave Erica's Chirithy how they were but my sister said "Blaine/Brain's Chirithy is different." Which was a good point.

**•** Sooo Erica can be a bit reckless at times, usually when it’s concerning her friends’ safety.

**•** She’s a pretty cheerful girl, friendly, and pretty polite.

**•** She always puts other people first and will protect her friends to the end.

**•** She’s also not the best at technology. And she has a habit of leaving her Gummiphone at home. Also I kinda picture her ringtone to be the battle theme of Daybreak Town. Plus instead of the crown Sora has on his phone I imagine maybe like the top of the lux symbol for her phone. Or a star like on the Starlight Keychain.

**•** A trait of hers that I’ve discovered is that she doesn’t forgive easily. Isa’s back to normal at the end of KH III, but since he kind of hurt her friends she’s hesitant to forgive him. Isa kinda picks up on that even though she’s subtle about it.

**•** On another note I picture her to be ambidextrous but she tends to use her right hand more.

**•**I think I’d like for her to come across Demyx at some point, most likely during Days which is where Book 1 takes place. (My sister kinda suggested for Erica to meet another Organization member so I went with him.) It’d be a fun friendship, actually.

**•** Also since the player does meet Lauriam, she’ll probably end up coming across Marluxia at some point. She’s going to have a lot of questions that he probably won’t be able to answer since he can’t really remember much.

**•** For KH III I have so far that since she’s world hopping in hopes of catching up to Sora eventually, she’ll kind of be unknowingly a couple steps behind him. Also I was kinda bummed we didn’t get to see the rest of the Toy Story gang so Erica’s gonna get to meet them.

**•** And, since there are those little spirit creatures in Union Cross, Erica now has a spirit dog named Stella. Specifically the Silver Snowpup more or less. I think maybe I might have Stella’s eyes change colors depending on her mood. Not sure. But I do know she’s shy. And adorable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man if Erica ever finds out the Foretellers are back she's going to have lots of questions.  
> And apparently Union Cross is going to be ending soon so that probably might be the nudge for me to get cracking on her story. I was either going to snap and start roughly outlining Book 1 or wait for Union Cross to end. Either way I'm getting excited!


	2. Day 2--Bonds of the Heart/Ties That Bind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erica’s met quite a few people during her adventures and her time in Daybreak Town, whether they be friends or enemies. But there are some who have made deeper impacts on her than others.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I probably might get more definite details once I get around to actually writing Erica’s story. Which will happen eventually. But for now I have general concepts.

**_Friends (more or less in no particular order)_ **

**•** **Chirithy** has been there since the beginning and through Erica’s ups and downs, and the two of them consider each other best friends. Whether it be indirectly or directly, Chirithy has influenced Erica in many ways that have benefitted her in the long run. Erica always relies on their advice and can’t picture a world without them. And Chirithy always looks out for Erica and wants what’s best for her, even if it means keeping things from her past a secret.

 **•** **Ephemer** **and Skuld** are close friends to Erica, but I think she bonded more quickly with Ephemer. Even if they’re from different Unions. The three of them uncovered a lot together and had some great adventures despite those adventures not being too long. And I think in a way they kind of broadened Erica’s horizons when it came to wondering what goes on outside of mission business. She still has hope that they’re out there somewhere, and she won’t stop looking for them no matter what.

 **•** Erica probably met **Ven** some time after she met Ephemer, and Ven became the kind of friend she could talk to for a good couple hours. Over time they kind of became mission buddies since they often had the same missions. Afterwards they would meet up by the lighthouse in Waterfront Park and just relax and talk. (I imagine Ven used to just finish his missions and go straight home.) Of course, when things got a little hectic as the Keyblade War neared, they began to see each other less and less.

_**Enemies (also more or less in no particular order)** _

**•** Erica’s **Nightmare Chirithy** , although they’ve only appeared a handful of times before vanishing, is really in the back of her mind. But she hasn’t forgotten them or their vow to see her again in another dream.

 **•** The **Organization XIII** from KH II gradually becomes her enemy as she travels with Sora, Donald, and Goofy, seeing as how they pose a threat to the worlds. And since the Sea Salt trio wears the same coat as them, she puts two and two together and sees that they’re the people Roxas and Axel work for (I have in Book 1 the trio kind of elude to Erica the people they work for). She’s concerned whenever the Organization brings up Roxas (since she’s looking for him and so are they) and kind of gets a bit defensive whenever Axel’s brought up (ex. Saix saying Axel’ll turn Sora into a Heartless), despite his actions at the time making her question him. I haven’t figured out which members specifically she’d be enemies with, but so far I have the Organization as a whole her as enemy.

 **•** The **Thirteen Seekers of Darkness** (or the True Organization XIII) are, of course, enemies of hers. Some of them she’s met before, others she hasn’t. Again, I haven’t figured out which members specifically she’d be enemies with, but I’m thinking since Luxu is Braig/Xigbar he may be curious about Erica since he’s seen her Keyblade before. Also he probably might mess with her to see how much she remembers of her past. (Might change that, though.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Side notes: Ven and Erica'll probably be familiar with fighting together since they kind of know each other's styles. And for some reason I don't have Vanitas and Erica meeting. At all. Like I'm pretty sure the closest thing I have to them meeting is Erica sensing Vanitas's presence. It's odd.  
> On another note I feel like Young Xehanort and Erica meeting would be interesting. His older self owns an old Keyblade and Starlight is technically an old Keyblade too. I dunno. I just think it'd be interesting.


	3. Day 3--The Power Within

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A rundown of Erica's fighting abilities/style.

**•** The version of Starlight that I picture her using is on the Tumblr version of this which is [here](https://ends-of-the-wayward-storm.tumblr.com/post/625541506321793024/kh-oc-week-2020day-3-the-power-within).

 **•** I’ve been considering how to play around with the concept of Keychains here, and so far I have that she still has the original one for Starlight somewhere. On the wiki it says that it’s _**likely**_ that “a Keychain represents the memories that a wielder holds of a certain world or individual” so maybe I could work with that or something. (Also we don’t really know what the Keychains are exactly other than a gameplay mechanic.)

 **•** She’s pretty balanced between fighting with her Keyblade and using magic, but she does tend to gravitate towards magic. I also consider her decently quick on her feet. Her “magic gauge” can last for a decently long time but she won’t just use magic left and right. Even though she’s been fighting with her Keyblade for a long while now, she knows there’s more for her to learn.

 **•** Erica was able to hold her own against the Foretellers but she practically almost died afterwards. Of course if she ever has to fight people at that level on her own again she probably would barely make it. ****

 **•** She uses Strike Raids a lot, especially Blizzard and Thunder Raids. A habit of hers is using it when she’s rushing toward someone in trouble in order to ward off enemies (like if they’re surrounded or something).

 **•** As I’ve mentioned in Day 1 she’s ambidextrous, so she can fight with Starlight with either her left or right hand. But she does favor her right hand.

 **•** The Reflect spell is something she also uses a lot. She can block pretty well with her Keyblade, too, but Reflect is usually for when she needs to defend herself and others on the fly. Often those times are when she and whoever she’s fighting with are getting surrounded. Also she has a habit of casting Reflect around people she’s rushing to rescue in order to ward off enemies.

 **•** Erica’s able to use the -ga tier spells pretty well and is able to rapid fire at least maybe one or two spells, which is most likely Triple Blizzaga and Triple Firaga. The most powerful spell she has is Nova Flare, which is basically the nova attack in Union Cross which I’m counting as a fire spell. Since it saps all of her magic Erica saves it for really serious emergencies.

 **•** One spell she has yet to master is gravity. And she really wants to know how to make a Keyblade Glider since I’m sure she’s probably seen or heard about it from the Wayfinder trio. Chirithy probably thinks she’s noooot quite ready to make a Keyblade Glider yet. Or do Keyblade transformations. But she’ll get there eventually.

 **•** And once she learns about Keyblade armor she's gonna wanna know how to do that.

 **•** Fun fact: Waaaay back before I made Erica a Key Kid I had made her a Keyblade based off of clouds. I still have the concept written down and I would love to use that Keyblade somewhere sometime.

 **•** Also on a random note apparently I like to pit her against fire enemies.


	4. Day 4--Treasured Memories: What You Cherish Most

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes when thinking of old friends, Erica feels a sadness that she's become familiar with.  
> This is not one of those times.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally I was just going to outright say what Erica treasures most but I realized that was super boring and decided to finally write something for this week. So anyway, the title’s pretty self-explanatory. This one was shorter than I thought it would be but it still went pretty well seeing as how I had just thought of this and threw it onto a document.

> _It was the end of a fun adventure, and so much had happened. The beach had been rid of a shark Heartless after a lot of hard work, the need to enjoy summer vacation to the fullest had been a constant must, and there had also been the unfortunate absence of sea salt ice cream. But in the end, everything was taken care of, and ice cream was officially on the menu._
> 
> _After their mission was done, of course._
> 
> _Luckily they did get to have that ice cream together afterwards, and even better, it had been kept from melting away._
> 
> _It felt like it had happened yesterday—sitting there with her friends, enjoying each other’s company, laughing together. She missed them. . . ._
> 
> _When she blinked, she wasn’t in Daybreak Town anymore. A familiar sunset was before her, and she was much higher up now. A gentle breeze tugged at her curls, and she looked to her right to see Xion, Roxas, and Axel talking. They were having sea salt ice cream like she was as they laughed together, enjoying each other’s company._
> 
> _Axel said something exaggerated, tugging a giggle out of Xion and Erica. Roxas teased Axel, who feigned being offended, and both girls just burst out laughing._
> 
> _Erica turned her gaze to the sunset, which brightened as it adorned pinks and purples. Upon shielding her eyes, she heard waves coming from down below. Footsteps drew her attention to Ven coming toward her, and he gave her a smile that she returned. After she faced forward, she spotted the other lighthouse on that beachy island in the distance._
> 
> _Ven talked about his mission in Dwarf Woodlands, saying that he wondered what the castle there looked like up close. And Erica wondered that, too. It was very pretty even from far away. Maybe it was as pretty as the castle in Cinderella’s world._
> 
> _They always exchanged their experiences in other worlds whenever they’d meet up in Waterfront Park. It was sort of a thing they fell into doing, and it always left them excited about seeing the parts of the worlds they had yet to see._
> 
> _Erica blinked, and the scenery changed again. This time she was sitting with Ephemer and Chirithy at Fountain Square, the former at her left with the latter at her right. It had been so long since they’d met up with each other, and now they were finally spending the day together. She wondered if Ephemer had ever tried sea salt ice cream before. Maybe she should’ve brought it up when they were at the Market. Well, there was always next time._
> 
> _If Skuld were here everything would be more than perfect. But she was busy, and Erica was okay with that. Skuld and Ephemer both had important jobs to do. So for now, she would enjoy her time with Ephemer before duty called again._
> 
> _The two wielders and Chirithy laughed about something together, but electric fizzing in the air cut their laughter short. They stood up as they studied it, but suddenly the electric fizz enlarged before it engulfed everything in an instant._

Erica woke up with a start, and she blinked at the orange and yellow rays of the setting sun streaming through her window. This time she didn’t feel sadness, even if some of the people and places she knew weren’t to be found anymore. She remembered those memories fondly and clearly, and thankfully that included the ones she had once forgotten about.

All the fun times she had with her friends, all the painful ones, and everything in between; she wouldn’t trade them for anything.


	5. Day 5--Facing Their Fears: Our Hearts Will Remember

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erica reflects on what she once lost, and Chirithy is ever her pillar of support.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This basically connects to what I had written for Day 4 and is kind of the same length as it. (Also this is kind of lowkey teaching me that I don’t have to write such long things even though that’s how I write more or less). I imagine this would take place post-KH II in my planned trilogy for Erica.

Erica gently swung her legs from atop a building as she watched the sun sink beneath the horizon. It was much cooler now, but even though she wasn’t directly in the desert, it had still been pretty hot earlier in the day.

She had run into Aladdin during her world scouting, and he had asked if he could tag along with her (which of course she said yes to). That had reminded her of their previous adventures together. Although those times had never really happened, she still felt some kind of connection. And Aladdin had also said he felt one, too, even though their “first meeting” had been not that long ago.

“You’ve been awfully quiet,” Chirithy commented.

“Really?” Erica said.

“Are you thinking about something?”

“Mmhmm.”

“Like what?”

Erica frowned. “Well . . . it’s been a while since I left Twilight Town to look for a way to find Ven’s heart.”

“I did tell you it wasn’t going to be easy.”

“I know. But . . . that’s not all I’ve been thinking about.” Erica’s eyes drifted down to her feet. “I forgot everything—my friends from home, and you. I even forgot the times I spent with people from other worlds. I . . . I feel really bad about it.”

“But in the end, you got your memories back. So there shouldn’t be a reason to worry.”

“I know. . . .” Erica paused. “. . . What if I forget everyone again? Ephemer and Skuld, Ven. . . . What if I forget you again, too?” Erica swallowed. “I don’t want to lose all the times we had together, even the sad ones. They’re important to me. . . .”

Chirithy’s ears lowered. They knew how much she cherished her friends. It was something they always liked about her. But. . . . “. . . Even if you do forget everything again, your heart will always remember.”

“Really?”

“Mmhmm. Your adventures with Aladdin may not have really happened, but the connection you share is still there. Your hearts remember it. And that goes for everyone that you’ve connected with.”

“He did say he felt like we’ve known each other for longer. . . .”

“See? The heart is a wonderful thing, isn’t it?”

“I guess it is.” Erica leaned back against her hands with a small smile. “I also have you to help me, too.”

“Of course! We are best friends after all.”

The curly-haired wielder’s smile grew with a small laugh. _Our hearts will remember. . . . I won’t forget that._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you remember my last entry for last year's KH OC Week, I had implied that she was terrified of losing her friends for good and went out of her way to make sure there was nothing out there that would endanger her friends. Losing her memories becomes a real close second once she regains them.


	6. Day 6--Life’s Perks: Nothing Beats Homemade

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Usually the simplest things in life are the most enjoyable. Especially with friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This time I had a plan! Partially. I got the gist of it before filling in the finer details. Anyway this was actually kinda cute to write, but it’s a bit long, I think. Got to practice more with writing some characters which is always nice. :)

“Here you go.”

Seifer frowned as he took the letter from Erica. “At least this was on time.”

“Mail comin’ in late’s the worst, y’know?” Rai commented.

“That it?”

“Looks like it,” Erica replied, giving her messenger bag one last search. “Hope you have a good day!”

“We’ll see about that.”

Erica briefly frowned before setting her skateboard down and heading off. That was the last piece of mail for today, which meant the weekend was officially hers. She wondered what they’d be able to do this time. Last week, Ax—Lea decided to try his hand at skateboarding. He thought he’d be a pro at it since he considered himself pretty good with balance.

That is until he crashed into someone with a large bag of groceries. Needless to say getting the eggs and ice cream out of his hair took way too long for his liking.

Approaching the post office, Erica slowed down to pick up her skateboard. When she pushed open the door, a little bell rang from above it, alerting a woman with brown hair picked up in a bun.

“Any issues today?” she asked.

“Nope! Everyone got their mail,” Erica replied.

“That’s good to hear.”

Erica hung her bag up just as her Gummiphone buzzed. Fishing it out of her pocket, she felt it buzz a few more times as messages from her friends kept popping up.

“Plans for the weekend?”

“Looks like it.”

“Then I hope you have a good weekend.”

“You too!” Erica gave the woman a wave before exiting the post office and leaning against a pole.

—Pence: Hey Erica! We’re headed to the Bistro for lunch tomorrow. Wanna come with us?

Ooh that sounded fun!

~~Sure!

—Olette: This would be your first time at the Bistro, right?

—Roxas: I think so.

—Olette: It’s amazing! You won’t want to eat anywhere else.

—Lea: Sounds like it’s the best in town.

—Hayner: Sure is.

Erica laughed to herself before tucking her Gummiphone away. Setting her skateboard down again, she set a course for the train station to head home.

The next day, Erica was quickly making her way over to the Bistro. She hoped she wasn’t too late. The train was having some minor technical difficulties, but luckily they were able to fix them.

Up ahead, a boy with a sort of wizard’s hat was walking down the street.

“Hi Vivi!” Erica said.

“Hello,” he replied just before she passed him.

After a few more moments the Bistro was in sight, and the rest of her friends were by the steps leading down to it. But what was strange is that they all looked disappointed.

“I’m here!” Erica announced.

“Oh. Hey,” Hayner said dejectedly.

She frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“We just found out the Bistro’s closed for renovations,” Pence replied.

“Oh. . . .”

“Seems we’ll have to find another place for lunch,” Isa said.

“I guess. . . .” Hayner pouted.

“I’m sure we’ll be able to think of something,” Naminé said.

Roxas glanced to the ground in thought for a few seconds. “Maybe we could make something.”

“What would we make?” Xion asked.

“Good question,” Lea commented. “Any ideas?”

Pence hummed. “My dad makes a really mean quiche. Maybe we could try that?”

“Quiche?” Xion repeated.

“It’s kinda like a pie but without the sugar and sweet stuff.”

“Can’t be that hard, can it?” Lea said.

“You said that about the skateboard,” Roxas teased, leaving the redhead spluttering for a comeback.

“A-anyway, whaddowe need to get?”

“I think I have what we need over at my place,” Pence said.

“That makes things easier.”

So the group followed Pence over to his house in hopes of saving their lunch plans.

“I was so looking forward to that crab biscuit thing,” Hayner complained.

“Crab bisque,” Isa corrected.

“Yeah whatever. Point is I’m not getting it.”

“Hayner,” Olette warned.

“I think it might be fun trying to make something,” Erica said, getting a nod from Naminé.

“Besides, you’ve had Pence’s dad’s quiche before.”

“I know,” Hayner moaned.

The group finally approached Pence’s humble abode, and he dug around in his pockets before pulling out a key. “My parents aren’t home but they know I have friends over sometimes.”

Inside was your average but quite cozy home, and there was a very nice vase of flowers on the kitchen counter.

“Nice place,” Lea said.

“Thanks!” Pence said. “Make yourselves at home. Oh, make sure to leave your shoes by the door.” After doing that himself, he began to search his kitchen for the needed ingredients. “Let’s see. . . . Eggs, check, pie crusts, check. . . .” He muttered a few more ingredients before stopping. “Aw man!”

“What’s wrong?” Naminé asked.

“There’s no ham!”

“Can we use something else instead?” Erica asked.

“I’m pretty sure we could, but my dad’s recipe’s the only quiche recipe I know.”

“Maybe we could make something else?” Xion suggested.

“What about pizza?” Olette said.

“Give me oooone second.” Pence scouted the fridge and cabinets. “Yep! We’re good to go!”

“Then what are we waiting for?” Hayner said.

As Pence grabbed the ingredients, the others went to wash up. “Anyone like pepperoni?”

“I do!”

“Sure,” Lea replied.

Once everyone gathered in the kitchen, preparations began. Two pizza crusts were placed onto baking sheets and pans, and the oven was set to preheat.

“I figured we’d cheat a little bit with the crusts since _someone’s_ hungry,” Pence said, earning a look from Hayner.

“There’s always next time,” Isa said. “Assuming Hayner won’t object to it.”

“Hey!” Hayner snapped.

“Okay. Roxas you’re in charge of putting the oil on the cheese pizza, and Xion can do the other pizza,” Pence said. “Make sure not to put too much.”

“Got it,” Roxas said, and the group fell into a comfortable silence for a bit. “I wonder what they’re doing renovations for.”

“Could be technical stuff,” Lea said.

“Or they could be fixing other things,” Erica added.

“Maybe. . . .” Roxas inspected his pizza after a couple moments. “Is this enough?”

“Yup,” Pence said.

“What about mine?” Xion asked.

“Perfect. Now we’re going to do the same thing with the pizza sauce.”

Naminé watched Roxas and Xion thoughtfully. “It kind of looks like you’re painting something.”

“It does, doesn’t it?” Erica said.

It didn’t take too long for the sauce and the toppings to be put on. And once the pizzas were seasoned, they were placed into the oven.

“And now we wait,” Pence said as he set the dial timer.

“So, what do we do until then?” Erica asked.

“We could play a game,” Olette said.

“What about cards?” At that, the former Organization members exchanged brief looks.

“I think I have some in my room,” Pence said before heading down a hall. A few moments later, he came back with a deck of cards. “Go Fish seems like a good one to start with.”

“Someone we knew was an expert at card games,” Isa said.

“Yeah. So much of an expert it wasn’t even fair,” Lea remarked.

“I won a few games,” Roxas said.

“Me too,” Xion added.

“I guess you just had terrible luck,” Isa said.

Lea sighed. “I just don’t get a break around here, do I?”

The group laughed at his expense, which ultimately tugged a smile out of Lea.

Erica studied the hand she was dealt. “So uh, who goes first?”

“I think Isa’s supposed to go first,” Hayner said.

“All right.” Isa eyed his cards. “Any 2’s?”

“Aw man!” Hayner forked over two of them, and the blue-haired man couldn’t help smirking.

The group managed to make a full circle at least once, and already Naminé seemed to be taking first place with Isa not too far behind. Once they got to Erica a second time, the timer buzzed, startling Xion.

“I’ll get the plates!” Olette said, leading the others to set their cards down as the pizzas were carefully taken out.

“That smells really good,” Erica said.

“Right?” Pence agreed.

“Hey do you still have that lemonade from yesterday?” Hayner asked.

“Think so.” Pence served everyone their slices as the lemonade was poured out. “And lunch is served!”

“Thank you,” Naminé said.

“No problem.”

Isa took a bite before a small smirk made its way through. “Huh. Not bad.”

“Nothing beats homemade!”

“Oh, wait wait! Let’s get a picture!” Olette said. Everyone went behind the counter as they tried to squeeze into frame.

Roxas briefly bumped into Naminé. “S-sorry.”

“It’s all right, Roxas,” the blonde said.

“Little to the left, Hayner,” Olette said as Erica blew a stray curl out of her face. “Um Lea could you bend down a bit? You too, Isa.”

“How ‘bout I take the picture?” Lea suggested.

“That might be a better idea.” Olette handed her device to him.

“I think you still need to bend down,” Pence said.

“Maybe put it higher?” Naminé said.

Lea raised the device, and everyone managed to fit into the soon-to-be picture. “Uh which button are you supposed to press again?”

“I think the red one?” Erica guessed.

Xion squinted at tiny numbers counting up on the screen. “What are those numbers there?”

“I didn’t do it,” Lea said instantly.

“It’s been recording this whole time?!” Pence exclaimed.

“Oops,” Olette said. “Um push the red button.”

Lea did as told, and the numbers stopped counting. “All right now what?”

“Press the button next to the red one. Now everyone say cheese!”

“Cheese!” mostly everyone said before the picture was taken.

“Nice photo!”

As everyone continued with their meal, Roxas kept occasionally glancing to the pepperoni pizza.

“Can I try that?” he finally asked.

“Oh sure!” Pence gave Roxas a slice, and Roxas took a bite. But after a few seconds, he let out a cough.

“That’s . . . really strong pepperoni.”

“Really? Never really noticed,” Lea said.

“Of course you wouldn’t,” Isa said as Roxas debated on taking another bite or not.

“You don’t have to eat it if you don’t want to, y’know.”

“Yeah. Not everyone likes pepperoni,” Hayner said. Roxas frowned, and Lea snatched the slice right off of Roxas’s plate.

“We should do this again some time,” Naminé said.

“This was pretty fun,” Erica agreed.

“How ‘bout tomorrow?” Olette said.

“I don’t see why not,” Isa said.

“Then it’s settled! Tomorrow it is.”

As Erica watched her friends discuss tomorrow’s lunch (which Pence promised would be his dad’s quiche), she smiled to herself. She was sure they still would’ve had this much fun if they had gone to the Bistro, but somehow having it just be them felt more special. _I guess nothing really does beat homemade._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seifer didn't even say much and I wanted to strangle him. I'm aware of why he is the way he is but he still makes me angry. On another note grumpy/pouty Hayner is really fun to write. XD And maybe Olette kept the video for the memories. Not sure.


	7. Day 7--Summer’s End: Road Trip!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erica wants to do something special this summer, and she knows just what that something is. Now all she has to do is convince Chirithy that it was a good idea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoo boy this turned out long. But that’s how I write, apparently. 😂 This week was real fun as always! I’m hoping one day I’ll get to writing Erica’s story. Of course you can’t rush things like that so we’ll see. Maybe if there’s another OC Week next year I might have a new character idea to use. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this! This was real cute to write.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Erica.”

“We’ll be really careful, I promise. And besides. I’ve been there before.”

“But it goes against the rules. You know that.”

Erica frowned. Summer was drawing to a close, and they had all had a great time so far. But she wanted to do something special before it was over. “But they’ve gone to a different world before.”

“. . .Well, you’re right about that. . . .”

“It’ll just be for a day. Then we’ll head home, I promise.”

The dream eater tilted their head in thought. They knew Erica was careful when it came to these kinds of things. But a lot of things could happen if people from different worlds were to meet. “If anything happens, you have to leave as quickly as you can.”

“I promise.”

Chirithy studied her for a bit before sighing. “All right. Just this once. But after today, no more ideas like this, okay?”

“Yes!” Erica picked up Chirithy and hugged them. “Thank you so much! This’ll be great, I know it will!”

Chirithy held back another sigh. _I hope nothing goes wrong._

She set them down. “Now I just have to figure out which world to go to.”

Olette stifled a yawn as she waited in an alley in Sunset Terrace. “What do you think’s going on?”

“Beats me,” Hayner said, sitting cross-legged on the ground.

“Her message was pretty vague,” Pence mentioned.

“But why so early?”

Pence rubbed his chin. “Maybe she’s found another wonder here!”

“Maybe,” Olette said. “We’ll just have to wait until she gets here.”

A few minutes later, the others came around the corner. Yet Erica wasn’t with them.

“Any idea what comin’ here so early is about?” Lea asked before yawning.

“Pence here thinks Erica’s found another wonder,” Hayner said, reminding Roxas of the time he had to dodge balls flying out of the wall he had been trying to get to. “But I doubt that.”

“Perhaps this is something she wants to remain between us,” Isa guessed.

“Maybe,” Roxas said.

“Oh, here she comes!” Naminé said. Hayner, Pence, and Olette peeked out from behind the corner to see Erica jogging her way over to them. But her stealing a glance over her shoulder raised a yellow flag for everyone.

“Good. Everyone’s here,” Erica said.

“What’s going on?” Xion asked.

“I have a surprise for you guys.”

“Really?” Hayner said.

“And here I thought something was up,” Lea said.

Erica checked her surroundings again. “Okay, this way.”

Everyone followed her further into the alleyway, and she took one more glance behind everyone.

“So, what kind of surprise is this?” Hayner asked.

“Don’t worry, it’s a good one,” Erica replied. Starlight appeared in her hand, and she faced the wall before pointing her Keyblade at it.

“You’re not doing what I think you’re doing, are you?” Lea questioned. A corridor of light appeared, pulling surprised noises out of Hayner, Pence, and Olette. “Yeah. You are.”

“Hey wait. That’s that portal thing!” Pence realized.

“It’s a corridor of light,” Erica explained. “I want to take you guys to a new world before summer ends.”

“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Lea asked.

“We’ve all been to a different world before,” Roxas said.

“I know that, but . . . this is different.”

“Lea’s right,” Isa said. “This might not be the best idea.”

“I’ve been to this one before,” Erica said.

“That doesn’t matter. It could be dangerous.”

“Aw come on you two!” Pence said. “This could be fun!”

“It’s like Roxas said,” Olette pointed out. “We’ve all been to a different world.”

“And it was awesome!” Hayner added.

“I wouldn’t mind going,” Xion said. “It might be nice.”

“Yeah,” Roxas agreed.

“I’m sure Erica wouldn’t do this if it was dangerous,” Naminé pointed out, and Lea and Isa exchanged sideways glances.

“You guys have to make sure not to say a peep about Twilight Town,” Lea said. “Not everyone knows about other worlds.”

“Got it,” Pence said. “We have to become one with our surroundings.”

“And no wandering around,” Isa added.

“No problem,” Hayner said.

“Then let’s go!” Olette beamed. Erica smiled, and the group entered the corridor. They were met with silence for a few moments before waves brushing against the shore and the smell of the sea welcomed them.

“Woah! Where are we?” Pence asked.

“This is Atlantica,” Erica said. “Well, actually we’re closer to Prince Eric’s castle.”

“Prince Eric?” Roxas repeated, only to remember he had been inside Sora upon first hearing that name.

“You know a prince?” Olette asked.

“Yup, and he’s really nice,” Erica said. “Oh! I think there’s a town here we could go to.”

“Well, you’re our expert here,” Lea said.

As Erica led everyone down a path through a sort of archway of rock, Lea and Isa kept an eye on the group from the rear. Along the way, she told everyone as much as she could about the world (with the exception of what was under the sea. Some things were probably still lurking down there). She also mentioned knowing a seagull named Scuttle.

“He talks?” Xion asked.

“Mmhmm,” Erica said.

“This is like a whole other dimension!” Pence said.

“That’s one way to put it,” Lea commented.

“We should head back to the beach after this,” Olette suggested.

“I wonder what kind of shells are there,” Xion wondered.

“Maybe they’re different from Sora’s world,” Naminé said.

“Heeeeyyy!” someone shouted, making the group stop.

“Who’s shouting?” Pence asked.

“Heeeeyyy!” This time the voice was closer, and moments later wings flapping brought everyone’s attention above them. “Look out below!”

A seagull came in for a rough landing, pulling startled noises out of everyone.

“Boy I really gotta work on my landings,” the seagull commented as he dusted himself off.

“Did he just talk?” Pence whispered.

“Yeah,” Hayner replied. “I bet that’s—”

“Hi Scuttle,” Erica said.

“Hmm?” Scuttle looked up at her before squinting. “Y’know, you look very familiar.”

“It’s me Eri—”

“Wait don’t tell me. It’s right on the tip of my tongue. . . .” He rubbed his chin. “You’re a friend of Ariel’s right? The one with the reeeally curly hair?”

“Yup. That’s me.”

“Is he serious?” Hayner whispered.

“I got it!” Scuttle said. “Erica! Hey it’s been a while!”

The wielder in question laughed a bit. “It’s good to see you.”

 _Guess he didn’t get it memorized_ , Roxas thought.

Scuttle finally laid eyes on everyone else. “Woah. That is a lot of humans.”

“They’re friends of mine,” Erica said, and Naminé and Olette waved before the curly-haired girl introduced everyone.

“Nice to meetcha!”

“Nice to meet you too,” Olette said.

“So, what are you up to today?”

“We were going to head to the town to walk around for a bit,” Erica said.

“Y’know what, there’s a shortcut I found just a couple days ago that’ll get you there in minutes.”

“Really?” Xion asked.

“Yeah! C’mon I’ll show ya!” The bird took off in the opposite direction after a couple flaps, and the group exchanged looks.

“You sure we should be trusting him with directions?” Lea asked.

“He can be a bit . . . off sometimes, but we can count on him,” Erica said.

“All right. If you say so.”

The group then proceeded to follow Scuttle.

“I can’t believe birds talk here!” Pence said, trying to keep his voice down. “Are they the only animals that talk here?”

“I know a fish and a crab that talk, too,” Erica replied.

“No way!” Hayner said.

“Y’know, so far this hasn’t been a bad idea after all,” Lea commented to Isa.

“You could say that,” Isa replied. “And taking directions from a talking seagull is certainly something. But, every world is different.”

After a couple more minutes Scuttle stopped before a cave that made a few eyebrows rise.

“We have to go in there?” Hayner asked.

“Are you sure about this?” Erica questioned.

“Positive,” Scuttle replied. “Oh uh might wanna watch your step in here. Y’know since humans can’t fly and all.” He squinted at the cave. “I don’t think I remember it being this dark last time.”

Lea shot the bird a look that went unnoticed before sighing and stepping away. Grabbing two sticks, he checked to make sure Scuttle was still facing the cave before igniting the sticks with a brief fire spell. “Well I have our light. Lead the way.”

Scuttle looked to Lea. “Huh. Fire. You humans really know how to use that stuff.” The seagull went inside, and the group followed him in with Lea right behind him.

“How many times have you been through here?” Roxas asked, holding the other stick.

“Ahh a couple times, give or take. But don’t worry. I got this cave mapped out perfectly up here.” The seagull knocked on his head briefly, and Lea once again gave the bird a look that Isa caught.

The cave didn’t really have much to it other than the dozens of small rocks and pebbles tossed around here and there. Lea and Isa both had a couple inches of room above them, but that really didn’t seem to make them feel any better. But, after a short while Scuttle proved true to his word, and they could hear the sounds of bustling people ahead of them.

“And here we are!” He pulled back fabric that acted as a curtain before squeezing himself through a space between two of the several boards that were shoddily boarding up the hole.

Managing to find a loose board that could be pushed aside to form a way out, Olette made her way through, and she brushed the curtain aside. “Woah! Guys, over here!”

“Huh?” Roxas put his torch out before following after her, and the others followed suit. Lea was the last one out once he put his torch out, and he and Isa could already see how excited the others were.

“Thanks, Scuttle!” Erica said.

“Any time, Erica,” Scuttle said. “I’ll see ya later!”

Once he was off, Xion tugged Lea and Isa along, and the rest finally ventured out into the open. People were going to and fro all around them, some looking at those selling their wares while others simply enjoyed the atmosphere. There was a puppet show going on that was capturing their young audience very well, and a couple stands in the streets were situated at just the right angle to catch one’s eye.

“It’s very different from home,” Naminé said. “But it’s a good different.”

The scent of flowers caught Xion’s attention, and she noticed some very familiar ones.

“Forget-me-nots,” Isa said. “I haven’t seen those in a while.”

“They’re really pretty.”

“Hey can we check out what’s down that way?” Pence asked, pointing at an archway.

“They’re selling paint over there,” Naminé said. “I’ve always wanted to try painting.” Lea and Isa exchanged looks.

“All right, here’s the deal,” Lea said. “We’ll meet back at that fountain over there in two hours.”

“Stay in pairs or groups of three,” Isa said. “And don’t stray too far from one another. Understood?”

“Yes!” Pence said, and he nudged Hayner. “C’mon guys!”

“Wait up, you two!” Olette said before hurrying after them.

“Where’d you see that paint?” Lea asked.

“That way.” Naminé took him by the hand and led him to the stand.

“H-hey!” Roxas said. Isa watched him leave, and he looked to see Erica still with him and Xion, the two girls’ attention already captured by the flowers.

“There’s so many here,” Xion said. “It’s almost hard to pick.”

“Which one did you see first?” Erica asked.

“Those blue ones there.” Xion pointed to the forget-me-nots.

“I have some munny if you want them.”

“Are you sure?”

“Mmhmm.”

“. . . Then, I’ll get them. Please.”

Erica bought the flowers, and Xion’s eyes drifted to the rest of the stand.

“What about those?” She pointed to a few other ones, and Isa pulled out some extra munny.

“You have quite the eye,” he said. The seller gave her a basket for the flowers, and Xion thanked both him and her friends. After the trio moved aside, Xion carefully sifted through her basket before pulling out a forget-me-not and giving it to Isa.

“There’s enough for everyone else, so I thought I could share them.”

He glanced between her and the flower before gently taking it. As for Erica, Xion gave her one of the blue chrysanthemums. But there was another flower attached to it.

“A dandelion,” Erica said. Just the very word reminded her of Master Ava and her friends. It was strange how one word could bring up so many memories. . . .

“Some say you can wish on those.”

“I uh, I think I’ll try to keep it in one piece.” Erica tucked both flowers behind her ear, making sure they wouldn’t fall. “Thank you.”

Xion smiled. “Let’s try to find everyone else.”

It didn’t take too long for the trio to find Lea, Roxas, and Naminé. The blonde-haired girl couldn’t stop looking at the bottles of paint she had acquired, already thinking of what to paint once they got home.

“That’s a lot of flowers,” Roxas said as both groups met.

“They do look nice,” Naminé commented. Xion picked out a daisy for Naminé, an orange chrysanthemum for Lea, and a white one for Roxas.

“Looks just like your hair,” Isa commented as Lea stuck his flower in his hair with pride.

“I bet it brings out my eyes, doesn’t it?” Lea replied, earning laughs from the girls.

Naminé gently picked a forget-me-not from the basket and placed it in Xion’s hair. “You should have one too.” Xion gave her a smile.

Erica looked around the square, but she was unable to spot Hayner, Pence, and Olette. “Um, should we look for the others?”

“You might wanna look over there,” Lea said, gesturing with his head to the trio in question running toward them. Hayner had a sort of box in his hands, and Olette had some smaller things in her hand. As for Pence he wasn’t too far behind them.

“You got excited,” Isa said with a small smile.

“They have pretzels here!” Hayner said. “Oh, and we saw this girl with long red hair. She was pretty nice.”

“Was she with a guy with black hair?” Erica asked.

“Oh yeah. He was nice, too,” Pence answered.

“I think that was Ariel and Prince Eric.”

“That was them?”

“Yup.”

“They looked really sweet together,” Olette said. “Oh! I almost forgot.” She held out her hand, revealing beaded bracelets much like her own and some wristbands. “I got these for us.”

“You did?” Roxas asked.

“Mmhmm.” Olette passed her gifts out.

“You didn’t mention anything about where we’re from, did you?” Erica asked.

“Don’t worry. We kept quiet about that,” Hayner said.

Xion turned her wrist to admire her new silver bracelet. “Thanks, Olette.” Going through her basket, she picked out flowers for Hayner, Pence, and Olette.

Olette looked at her orange chrysanthemum. “These are for us?” Xion nodded, earning a smile from Olette. “Thanks, Xion.”

“So, we ready to head back to the beach?” Hayner said.

“Sure, if you want to,” Lea replied, leading the others to agree.

“All right, then let’s hit the road!”

Lea and Isa held onto the baskets of paint and flowers, letting the rest of the group chat away excitedly.

“Best. Day. Ever!” Pence beamed.

“Yeah this was awesome!” Hayner agreed.

“Heh heh. I’m glad you liked it here,” Erica said.

The redhead’s eyes drifted to the flowers. “Y’know, our home world had a lot flowers there.”

“I remember them,” Isa replied. “I wonder if they’re the same.”

“I figured they’d be, what with the people in that world restoring it and all.”

The blue-haired man glanced to the others, spotting Hayner playfully shoving Roxas, who shoved back. “Perhaps one day we’ll see it again. Properly.”

“And maybe once we find her, we should take her with us.”

“I think she’d like that.”

Eventually the group reached the beach, and the sun was beginning to set. A soft breeze passed through as they sat in the sand, making sure not to sit too close to the water. However, Isa noticed Erica had stayed behind, her distant gaze on the dandelion in her hands.

“Aren’t you coming?” he asked.

“Hmm?” She looked to him. “I’ll catch up in a bit.”

Her usual smile didn’t reach her eyes, but he decided to leave her be. Erica waited for him to keep walking before closing her eyes. She could just imagine herself back at that beach with those other wielders. She could just hear their laughter as they messed around with each other, the leader of the group trying her best not to laugh with them.

Of course, that was in the past. She had other friends that she could share memories with now. And . . . maybe one day they would all meet.

_One day I’ll see them again._

Erica blew onto the dandelion, and she watched the wind carry its seeds far, far away. . . .

“Hey Erica! You coming?” Pence called.

“Be right there!” Pocketing what remained of the dandelion, she briskly headed toward everyone else. As she sat down, Roxas noticed she had only one flower in her hair.

“Your dandelion’s missing,” he said.

“I decided to make a wish on it.”

“What did you wish for?” Xion asked.

“Can’t say. I’m hoping it’ll come true.”

“Maybe it will,” Olette said. Once she opened the box of pretzels for everyone, their heavenly buttery scent filled the air.

Pence pulled a piece off of his to pop into his mouth. “Hey these are better than the ones back home.”

“I guess the baker here’s pretty good,” Lea commented.

“They taste the same to me,” Roxas said.

“I think so too,” Xion said.

Olette swallowed a bite. “Do you think we could do this again?” The former Organization members and Erica exchanged glances.

“Uh we’ll see about that,” Lea said.

Naminé looked to the horizon, feeling the breeze against her face. “At least we got to spend time together like this. That’s what matters the most.”

“Yeah,” Xion agreed.

“I guess we’re pretty lucky,” Roxas said. But thunder followed by sudden rain decided to say otherwise.

“Aw man!” Hayner complained, gathering his shoes.

“Q-quick, head for that cave!” Pence said, and everyone collected their things before darting off. Erica couldn’t help laughing a bit, which led to Naminé laughing as well. And luckily the group made it just before the rain got any heavier.

Erica puffed out a brief laugh. “That came out of nowhere.”

Hayner poured some water out of his shoes. “No kidding.”

Olette glanced to Roxas, and she couldn’t help snickering. “Roxas, your hair.”

“My hair?” He parted the hair from his eyes like a curtain.

“You look like a hippie,” Hayner teased.

“Axel’s hair got kind of long,” Xion pointed out with a laugh.

“And Pence’s hair looks like a wilted plant,” Lea quipped, and the group shared a laugh.

“I think our pretzels got soaked,” Pence said. “But at least the flowers got some water.” Naminé laughed a bit only to sneeze.

“I’ll see if I can get a fire going.” It wasn’t very long until a small fire was made, and the group huddled around it as they listened to the rain.

“I hope we don’t get sick tomorrow,” Hayner said. “That’d really be a bummer.”

“Same here.”

Olette readjusted her flower. “Thanks for taking us here, Erica. It was amazing.”

“You’re welcome,” Erica said. “But um, we should probably head home once we’re all dry.”

The group voiced their agreements. They’d get home eventually, but for now, they were going to remain just how they were—gathered around a fire and listening to the rain and the ocean.

Together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeahhh Lea and Isa kinda became parents here. XD Oh, also, in case you were wondering about the other bracelets: Naminé’s is white and Erica’s is lavender. I was gonna give Xion a black one but I thought a silver one would be nicer. And for the boys Isa has a blue wristband, Lea's is red, and Roxas has a black and white one (even though he kind of already has one). I imagine Hayner's to be green but I have no idea what Pence's would be.  
> Also I picture Erica's first trip to Atlantica to go much differently than KH II. Scuttle will be a thing but the details are still up in the air. I've never written him before so I hope I did good.


End file.
